


Tending your wounds

by savagerhapsody



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 13:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4102786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savagerhapsody/pseuds/savagerhapsody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between episode 22 and 23. Laura and Carmilla come to an understanding. Hollstein</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tending your wounds

Laura sat at her computer poring over her Lit notes, yet actually accomplishing little. It would seem that being bitten by one's vampire roommate does not contribute much to focusing on one's studies. 

“Okay so...an anastrophe is when an object or event is placed in a time period it doesn't belong in. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Oh fudgesicles I'm going to fail...”

Laura was torn away from her studies (or lack thereof) as she felt a light tickling sensation down her neck. Her hand flew to her neck. When she brought the hand in front of her face, it was wet and smeared crimson. She let out a shriek and frantically reached for her hand towel, flinging her notes to the ground in the process. It had been a few hours since she had been drained like a Capri-Sun pouch, and she was certain the bleeding had all but ceased by now.

With the shower still running, Laura rose and hammered on the door.

“Carmilla! Get out NOW!”

Laura continued to pummel the door until it swung open. Carmilla stood in the doorway, fully dressed and dabbing her hair nonchalantly with a towel. 

“What's eating you cupcake?” 

Carmilla snickered at her own joke.

Laura shoved her aside and ran the towel under the faucet. She pressed the cloth tightly to her wound, but still the blood continued to flow.

“Oh God its still bleeding. Why am I still bleeding?”

Laura gingerly removed the towel to inspect the bite in the mirror. Sure enough two puncture marks could be seen, colored a deep dark red against her pale skin. A wide trail of blood marched down the length of her neck, pooling slightly at her clavicle. 

“Its not going to stop with you just slapping a towel on it and hoping for the best, that's for sure.”

Laura stomped out of the bathroom, her brown eyes flashing with anger.

“Well then, since this is your fault anyway, do you have any bright ideas?”

Carmilla sighed and ventured into the bathroom. When she returned, she had produced a somewhat worn glass vial, a clean washcloth, and several band-aids. Carmilla offered them sheepishly.

“May I?”

Taken aback, Laura sat on her bed and nodded mutely.

Carmilla opened the vial. She poured a tacky, light-blue liquid onto the washcloth and began to gently dab at Laura's neck. Laura couldn't help but let out a slight hiss and winced. Carmilla drew the cloth away.

“Does that hurt?”

“A little. It stings mostly.”

“I'll be more careful then. This won't take long, I promise.”

Carmilla continued her ministrations.

“There's a...I dare not use the word 'venom'...a substance in our fangs that discourages the platelets in your blood from clotting. It makes it easier to feed, as you would imagine. That's why your wound isn't healing. This balm will help encourage the bite to start healing.”

“Oh.” Was all Laura could manage to say.

Carmilla poured out more of the goop onto the towel and dabbed on another layer to Laura's neck. After several long minutes of uncomfortable silence, Carmilla sighed.

“I'm sorry.”

“What?”

Laura turned her head in shock to stare at Carmilla. She winced again at the sensations in her injury. She supposed the balm was doing its job, only because she felt a strange feeling somewhere between stinging and tingling where Carmilla had applied it.

“I said I'm sorry. I have been told before that it is impolite to bite people you are friendly with. And I've already given you enough reasons to believe I am a monster, I don't particularly need to give you any more.”

Laura furrowed her brows and pushed Carmilla's arm away.

“Carmilla. I have never, not once, thought of you as a monster. A terrible roommate? Sure. An insufferable, inconsiderate, secretive, filthy acquaintance? Of course. An all-around pain in my backside? Absolutely. But never a monster. Never.”

Carmilla smiled slightly, and stared down at the washcloth in her hands.

“Even so, I intruded in your personal space and violated your trust, and for that I apologize.”

“Well, thank you. I accept your apology.”

Carmilla continued her nursing efforts and the two roommates sat in a comfortable silence. Carmilla tenderly finished cleaning Laura's bite and placed the tiny cork stopper back in the vial. She put the vial and cloth aside and began fumbling with the band-aid wrapper.

“So...what do I taste like?”

In shock, the band-aid slipped out of Carmilla's perfectly manicured hands.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on. What does blood taste like? I'm dying to know. Call it...journalistic curiosity.”

Carmilla bent down to scoop the bandage off the ground.

“I honestly have no idea how to answer that question. No one's ever asked before.”

“C'mon, tell me! You know when you bite your lip really hard and you taste blood and its all bitter and metallic-y? Is that what its like?”

Carmilla scrunched her face and nervously began to play with the band-aid packaging.

“Its not so much as taste, I guess as a...feeling. After I feed, I feel...satisfied. Sustained. Its almost like eating a home-cooked meal made by your mother. Its warm and welcoming. But that's the point I suppose.”

Laura nodded thoughtfully. Carmilla, finally tearing away the wrapping, peeled out the band-aid inside.

“Do some people taste better than others? I bet you've had your fair share of blood over the centuries. I want to know where I rank.”

Carmilla sighed, exasperated.

“Laura...”

“No, no, c'mon tell me. Is it bad? Do I taste bad? I can take it, I promise. Just tell me! Please?”

Carmilla growled slightly.

“Yes, people taste differently.” Carmilla grumbled, unsure how to phrase her answer.

“Its actually a lot like love...unfortunately. People I have no emotional or...intimate interest in taste bland. Like food with no seasoning. If they peak my particular uhm, interests, they will taste more appealing, and I am likely to feed on them for longer periods of time. Its like when you eat ice cream out of the container and you can't really bring yourself to put it down. When you bring emotional significance into the picture, I am wagering it would overall enhance the experience...but I'm not really too sure about that. I wouldn't really know.”

Carmilla gently applied the bandage over Laura's bite marks and saw the visible concern on her face. She couldn't help but feel warmed that she was able to have this conversation. Laura, as lovely and considerate as she was, was not judgmental. She earnestly wanted to know and understand Carmilla better. A part of her was relieved to open up to someone again, especially to someone like Laura. It was freeing and terrifying, all at once.

“So?” Laura prodded.

Carmilla chuckled slightly.

“I can assure you Laura, that you are not the worst thing I have ever eaten.”

Laura's chest stuck out a little bit then, satisfied with her response.

“There. You are all fixed up and free to go.” Carmilla said.

“Yeah, free to cram my brain for two hours until it explodes. There's no possible way I'm going to pass this stupid mid-term.”

Carmilla paused and picked up Laura's copy of 'The Jungle Book' from off her desk.

“Its on this Kipling stuff, right? I might have leafed through it a couple times. The important thing is to notice the themes of order and chaos within the different animals...”

\- - -

Hours later, Laura walked out of her Lit class, reeling. She felt somewhat akin to a chair in a WWF brawl. As she prepared for the long trek back to her dorm in the chilly October weather, she felt an itch at her ear. She found her hand lingering over the bandage on her neck, and she smiled.


End file.
